Local Food Benefits
- Eating food that is grown locally means that you are getting the freshest, healthiest and tastiest food available.
- When food travels fewer miles to your table, it can be picked closer to its peak ripeness, retaining maximum nutrients.
- Local food supports local farmers who can avoid paying a middleman to market and sell their crops.
- Supporting local farmers also means you are supporting biodiversity in a region, and healthier land and soils.
- Local farmers are able to plant crops and raise livestock that don't have to withstand a lot of shipping miles or the ease of large-scale farming.
Bon Appetit
CWRU has a strong partnership with contracted catering company Bon Appétit Management Company (or BAMCo). They have specialized in sustainable purchasing and food production since the 1990’s. Bon Appétit works to provide sustainable food choices to all campus dining halls and catered events.
- Their corporate policies require a minimum of 20% of their food and beverage purchases fare compliant with a Farm to Fork program, and be grown and processed within 150 miles of where they are served.
- The produce purchased via this program is either certified organic or farmed using organic or humane farming practices, as confirmed by Bon Appétit by site visits.
- In 2014, 36 percent of Bon Appetit’s CWRU spend went to local producers, equating to $2 million dollars spent at local farms.
University Farm
CWRU is a home to an off-campus farm, Squire Valleevue and Valley Ridge Farms, which serves not only as a research and education center, but also as a production center for fresh, local produce. Much of the produce is purchased by Bon Appetit for use on campus in the dining halls and for catering.
The farm also sells produce at market stands at large events like the annual Farm Harvest Festival. Volunteers are always needed and welcome at the farm.
Garden@Case
The Garden@Case, established in 2011,campus garden located in the North Residential Village, adjacent to the Mather Park softball field on Mistletoe Drive. Volunteers with the Garden@Case use organic gardening techniques. The site and volunteer opportunities are open to CWRU students, faculty, staff.
Local Food off-campus
Northeast Ohio offers an abundance of local produce, such as:
- Cleveland is home of the largest contiguous urban farm in the country, the Ohio City Farm.
- The West Side Market celebrated it's centennial in 2012, and celebrates local food and cuisine purveyors daily.
- Inner-city vineyard and bioceller, Chateau Hough
- A aquaponics fish and vegetable farm and local food education initiative Rid-All Green Partnership.
- Local grocery stores like Heinen's in Shaker Square or downtown, have committed to providing local produce and other products when available.
- And during the growing season, Cleveland is dotted with farmer's markets, several in the University Circle area hosted by University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic.
- Cleveland also has a thriving foodie scene, with many restaurants featuring farm-to-table menus and seasonal, rotating specialties.
Reusable Containers
- Reusable, washable containers, utensils and drinkware are encouraged to reduce waste going to landfills. Some campus dining facilities allow users to bring their own cup or mug. And of course to ensure food safety wash and sanitize containers to maintain their longevity and usability.
- Through Bon Appetit and USEFULL, the University offers reusable containers at the student facing dining halls. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this program to reduce waste headed to the landfill.